Starlets ace Mwanahalima stars, Barding through to semis

Bukembe Boys bounced back from their opening day defeat as Barding punched their ticket to the semis in style as the boy’s Airtel Rising Stars competition national finals continued on Wednesday.

Bukembe edged Highland Region’s Kathungi 1-0 to keep their hopes alive as the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Term Two B Games rolled to their second day.

Wycliffe Wanyonyi scored the decisive goal on 30 minutes to advance to three points after losing to Barding 2-0, same as Kathungi who prevailed over Cheptenye by the same score line in Tuesday’s action.

Lake Region champions hammered the latter 6-0 at Moi Kisumu Stadium to seal their place in the last four to further underline their credentials as the team to beat.

Ziko Kombo grabbed a hat-trick while Albert Barasa added a brace with Dennis Ali also on target against the hapless Cheptenye who finished with ten-men after Anthony Leldo was sent off.

Benjamin Odhiambo squandered the opportunity to hit the seventh from the subsequent penalty with Bukembe needing victory over the already eliminated Cheptenye to guarantee passage with the leaders taking on Kathungi in the other final pool clash on Thursday.

Laiser Hill of Metropolitan joined Barding in the last four in emphatic fashion after thrashing Saburlei of Northern Region 7-1 earlier in the day to send them crashing out of competition.

Bukembe’s Matthew Ojurata failed to convert from the spot in the opening exchanges of their match with his penalty stopped by the keeper.

Rashid Leja had a chance to put the Highlands champions ahead in the 18th minute after Bukembe’s custodian Jeremiah Mesuswa dropped the ball in front of him in the box but failed to convert with two bites of the cherry.

The breakthrough came when Patrick Otieno stole the ball from Salim Hamad before finding Wanyonyi with a through ball to round the keeper and score.

-Starlets striker-

In the girl’s competition, Harambee Starlets striker Mwanahalima ‘Dogo’ Adam blasted in four as Coast Region champions St. John’s Kaloleni ran riot, blanking Itigo 6-0 to seal their berth in the semis of the Airtel Rising Stars girl’s football in Kisumu on Wednesday.

The captain grabbed a hat-trick in the first half and added her fourth in the second as Elizabeth Katungwa and Nuru Adam sealed the rout in a clash played at Kisumu Day Secondary School Grounds.

St. John’s top Group B with six points alongside Wiyeta Girls who joined them in the last-four after beating Sindo Girls 2-0 in the other encounter played at Moi Kisumu Stadium.

Millicent Akoth scored Wiyeta’s opener at the half hour before Judith Musimbi doubled the lead six minutes later from the spot. The penalty came after Leah Cherotich handled the ball in the box.

Sindo almost pulled one back just after the break but Kemunto Odenyo’s shot hit the woodwork having beaten goalkeeper Lizz Auma.

The winner of the group will be known on Thursday when the top two clash at the Moi Stadium.

In the other girls football matches of the day, Nginda will play Nyakach while Kirigara wind up their fixtures against Olympic in Group A.